Baby Oaklee Mae Snow’s decomposed body found in dresser

The badly decomposed body of a 1-year-old Oklahoma girl was found at the bottom of a dresser — and her mom and her boyfriend have been charged in the shocking murder.

The remains of Oaklee Mae Snow, who was reported missing in January, were found in the dresser in an abandoned home near Martinsville, Indiana, on April 21 after a national search, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The Morgan County Coroner’s Office this week ruled that the toddler — whose body was stuffed in a drawer with a leg broken at the knee — died by homicide from “unspecified means,” according to the news outlet.

Investigators said Oaklee’s mom Madison Marshall has confessed to her role in the gruesome death and led police to the property, located some 25 miles south of Indianapolis.

Marshall was charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and assisting a criminal — which authorities identified as her boyfriend Roan Waters, who faces a murder charge and several neglect-related counts.

The mother told investigators that she and her boyfriend moved Oaklee’s body to Morgan County in February after he allegedly killed her.


The late Oaklee Mae Snow
The badly decomposed remains of 1-year-old Oaklee Mae Snow were found inside a drawer in an abandoned house in Indiana.

Marshall was accused of removing her daughter and her 7-month-old son from their father’s home without his consent in January.

The three reportedly traveled with Waters to Indiana, where he has family near Indianapolis.

The couple stayed in a “trap house” on Albany Street in Indianapolis and used drugs, Fox 59 reported.

Marshall told investigators that she and Waters were awakened when Oaklee was crying on Feb. 9 because she was hungry, according to the outlet.


Mugshot of Madison Marshall
Madison Marshall is charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and assisting a criminal.
IMPD

Murder suspect Roan Waters
Roan Waters faces a murder charge and several neglect-related counts.
Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office

She accused Waters of throwing Oaklee to the floor, hitting her head, because of her cries. She alleged that he later shouted at the girl to bounce on a large rubber ball despite her being too small for the toy.

She said she ran to the living room, where she found Waters holding Oaklee’s unresponsive body as blood and saliva dripped from her mouth, according to the Star.

Marshall claimed she tried to call 911 when she realized her daughter was dying, but Waters slapped the phone from her hand, Fox 59 reported.

Shortly after, the couple allegedly got into Waters’ car with the girl’s wrapped body and drove off to Morgan County, where he disposed of the remains.


Tragic toddler Oaklee Mae Snow
“Her time on this earth was very much defined by adults abusing her and the allegation here is that abuse eventually led to her death,” prosecutor Ryan Mears said.

A “hysterical and sobbing” Marshall eventually led police to the abandoned home where the remains of who appeared to be a blond girl were found, according to the outlet, which cited new charging documents.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Oaklee lived a short, abused life.

“Her time on this earth was very much defined by adults abusing her and the allegation here is that abuse eventually led to her death,” Mears said, according to the outlet.

“This child was the victim of abuse over the course of multiple days,” he continued. “This was not an isolated incident. The Probable Cause affidavit indicates that there was abuse that took place in Oklahoma, Colorado and Indianapolis. This child suffered for a very significant period of time and on Feb. 9 the culmination of that abuse led to Oaklee tragically losing her life.”


Image of Oaklee with wings
Waters allegedly killed Oaklee after she woke the couple because she was hungry.

Neighbors on Albany Street said the house has been plagued by trouble for years.

“I’m pretty sure they were probably selling weed or drugs or some type of stuff out of there,” Duane De Clue told Fox 59.

“Terrible situation. Wish it could have been avoided. Wish there was something I could have done to intervene but I didn’t know things were that dramatic over there. I know they fuss and fight and argue and sell all of their stuff but I didn’t know there was children directly involved in any of that stuff,” he added.